{"id":64843,"date":"2022-04-19T12:12:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-19T16:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=64843"},"modified":"2022-04-20T14:27:26","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T18:27:26","slug":"message-in-public-speaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/message-in-public-speaking\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Define Your Message in Public Speaking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is it important to have a clear message in public speaking? How do you define your message? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In public speaking, your message is the key point of your speech. According to Chris Anderson, the author of TED Talks<\/em>, you should be able to encapsulate your message in one sentence, and it should permeate your talk from start to finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some things to keep in mind as you craft your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Develop Your Message <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In public speaking, your message is the “throughline” permeating your speech, your key point. So if your idea is, \u201cI want to talk about my trip to Alaska and how the Inuits live,\u201d an example of a throughline would be, \u201cPeople who live in small, self-sufficient communities live more creatively than people in big cities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anderson says you should be able to express your throughline in one sentence<\/strong>. By thinking of it in such concise terms, you\u2019re more likely to stay on track. Imagine this throughline as a connecting thread that\u2019s woven in and out of your speech from beginning to end. When this is done well, the audience remains engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid predictable throughlines<\/strong>. Anderson says an element of surprise<\/a> ensures your audience\u2019s curiosity from the beginning. For example, which speech sounds more interesting: The Dangers of Procrastination<\/em> or The Benefits of Procrastination? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples of effective throughlines include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n